This article examines the question of the purpose and benefit of professionalization of student affairs. We discuss how student affairs is positioned and positions itself at the "third space," in the intersection of administration, management, and the teaching and learning of students. In addition, the student affairs domain often…

Academic and student affairs are the two largest divisions in higher education institutions. While the benefits of academic and student affairs partnerships are evident, levels of disconnection due to professional and structural barriers still exist. One of the critical challenges faced by universities is the separation between academic and…

The June 2022 60-Second Survey invited all AACRAO members to provide their perspectives on what the role of the registrar "should" be at their institution. Particular attention was paid to what the role of the registrar "should" be for student engagement and enrollment management. These data will be used to shape a roundtable…

Guided Pathways is a systemic reform movement focused on increasing community college completion rates and student achievement (Bailey et al., 2015b). Within the California community college (CCC) System, every college is implementing Guided Pathways, and the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) continues to use this framework…

Issues of sustainability, plus how to both prepare students and lead organizations in working for sustainability, often remain a curricular afterthought for higher education administration. While recent research on sustainability education has advocated for embedding sustainability in all coursework across curricula, Higher Education and Student…

Striving antiracist frontline student affairs educators work from commitments to racial equity and racial justice. Yet, when responding to racist harms, they must navigate institutional investigative practices. In this institutional ethnographic study of a Predominantly and Historically White Institution (PHWI), despite frontline educators' aims,…

Research that examines the lived experiences of Black senior level student affairs administrators at predominately white institutions remains limited (Wolf & Freeman, 2013). The underrepresentation of administration of color in higher education is one of the most important ethical dilemmas facing colleges and universities today (Wolf &…

Higher education institutions do not have a history of being racially inclusive, and as a result, research and best practices around retention and student success have not been developed for underrepresented and minoritized students. Although there has been a surge in scholarship on diversifying higher education, literature, and identifying best…

Student retention has been an issue that has plagued college institutions for decades. Many researchers have conducted studies to investigate the challenges associated with students staying enrolled at their institutions. Although challenges in student retention exist, for-profit colleges have fared better in student retention than community…

The purpose for conducting the study was to identify how Very High Research university senior leaders at public institutions in the United States described their vision of the future of higher education over the next 25 years. Specifically, the study provided an opportunity for university chancellors and presidents to describe their versions of…

The organizational settings and subcultures in which Latine mid-level student affairs administrators are employed obscure the covert nature and permeation of racialized processes throughout the academic organization. Such processes determine who is promoted and who can lead. I used a constructivist grounded theory approach to challenge current…

International student services centers (ISSC) at postsecondary institutions in the United States are central to supporting international students' transition and adjustment needs. As leaders of these units, ISSC directors are 'managerial professionals' (MPs), exhibiting characteristics of both traditional academic and administrative roles. These…

Student affairs administrators in higher education spend time advocating for students in times of crisis. Whether case management occurs within a full-time case management role or as added responsibilities onto an administrator's job, the hours and minutes spent helping students manage crises add up to a significant amount of time. This article…

Facing enrollment declines that date to the Great Recession and accelerated during the worst of the pandemic, community colleges are redoubling their focus on student-readiness to seem--and become--as welcoming as possible. These efforts include: (1) ramping up student equity, diversity, and inclusion; (2) becoming more trauma-informed and…

Adult college students face unique challenges that can derail their dreams of completing a degree or certificate program. The problem addressed in this study was that, although postsecondary institutions in Tennessee have been tasked with equipping at least 55% of adult residents with a college degree or certificate by the year 2025, some college…